City council rips union’s billboard
Many police unions around the country have put up negative billboards to get their message across and get the community on their side. But in many communities, the tactic may be hurting more than helping.
The most recent example is the billboard that went up in Fitchburg, MA. The police union billboard asks for more officers, saying their pleas for new hires have been largely ignored over the past six years and they have fewer officers responding to more calls for service. The billboard also notes that Fitchburg is the second-most violent city in Central Massachusetts, based on 2012 FBI statistics. While most City Council members agree more police officers are needed in the city, many disagree with the union’s way of getting its message out.
“I think it’s a shame it came to that,” said Ward 3 Councilor Joel Kaddy, himself a retired Fitchburg police officer of 25 years, about the billboard. “I work so hard to try to turn the negativity away. It hurts when I read something like that.” Read more.